The present invention relates to a dental apparatus comprising means for allowing a connection of a fluid reservoir containing a fluid which is supplied to a dental handpiece under control of a valve arrangement by a suction pump which has a suction line that is connected with a reception member of a connector piece of the fluid reservoir.
The invention equally relates to a fluid reservoir containing a fluid which is intended for being used with a dental apparatus and for being supplied to an associated handpiece for use with a dental treatment.
A prior art dental apparatus of the kind as herein referred is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,210. For allowing a connection of a fluid reservoir a closure means of the same comprises at least two closure disks that are provided with at least one discharge opening at a common off-center position so that only in a singular relative turning position of these two closure disks a discharge of the fluid will be allowed. This definite turning position is obtained by a fitting which is adapted for being fastened to a neck portion of the fluid reservoir by means of a turn-lock fastener which has a discharge tube at a corresponding off-center position. By an interaction of this discharge tube with the discharge opening of the one closure disk the same may be turned into a position in which the discharge tube will be axially aligned with the discharge openings of the two closure disks. Since the discharge tube of the fitting is also provided with a check valve that opens in the discharge direction of the fluid the fitting may be used as a connector piece of the fluid reservoir with the dental apparatus for allowing supply of fluid to an interconnected handpiece under either a positive or a negative pressure of a pump which is installed inside of a housing of the dental apparatus. The fitting is fixed on an upper wall of the housing and presents a screw-connection with the neck portion of the reservoir. For compensating a negative pressure which will exist inside of the fluid reservoir when fluid is withdrawn for being supplied to the handpiece a complementing provision is made for supplying the fluid reservoir with compressed air via a second check valve of a second discharge tube. This second discharge tube is axially aligned with a pair of second openings of the two closure disks in the definite turning position for supplying compressed air to the inside of the fluid reservoir while fluid is withdrawn via the check valve of the first discharge tube and its associated discharge openings of the two closure disks whereby the two check valves of the two discharge tubes are opened in opposite directions.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dental apparatus comprising less complicated means for allowing a connection of a fluid reservoir and presenting at the same time a less complicated functional sequence in respect to the supply of fluid to an associated dental handpiece under the control of a valve arrangement.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fluid reservoir containing a fluid for being used with a dental apparatus connected with a dental handpiece for dental treatment which equally meets the demand for a less complicated connection of the fluid reservoir with a dental apparatus which has a suction pump by means of which the fluid of the fluid reservoir may be supplied to an associated dental handpiece under control of a valve arrangement.
The present invention accordingly provides a dental apparatus as well as a fluid reservoir for use with a dental apparatus which are each characterised by the features as outlined in the related claims.
A dental apparatus in accordance with the present invention therefore provides means which allow a very easy and at the same time safe-proof connection of a fluid reservoir for supplying the fluid which is contained in the fluid reservoir to an associated dental handpiece under control of two one-way check valves one of which is a closure valve and the other is an aeration valve. The connecting means including these two one-way check valves may be manufactured with low costs and may be easily handled especially when comprising a plug-in connection of a connector piece of the fluid reservoir and a reception member which will be arranged on a housing of the dental apparatus so that with such a structure and with such a possibility for a low-cost manufacturing of the fluid reservoir the possibility will exist for offering the fluid reservoir as a non-return product which may contain a variety of different fluids for a dental treatment.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of a dental apparatus and a fluid reservoir according to the present invention.